Kei Nishikori explains why he has decided to retire: "I felt like my feet were heavy when I went to train"

Diego Jiménez Rubio | 27 Jul 2026 | 09.25

Kei Nishikori explains his decision to retire in Washington. Photo: gettyimages

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Kei Nishikori is approaching the final months of his professional career after announcing that he will retire at the end of the 2026 season. The Japanese, a former world number 4 and US Open finalist, returns this week at the ATP 500 in Washington and has explained how the never-ending series of injuries eventually diminished the motivation that had accompanied him throughout his career.

Talking about Kei Nishikori forces us to talk about one of the best players who had the competitive misfortune of coinciding with the Big 3. A Grand Slam finalist and four-time Masters 1000 finalist, a quarterfinalist in all four majors, and an Olympic medalist, the Japanese built an extraordinary career without capturing one of those major titles his level deserved.

At 36 years old, and after a particularly cruel last five years with his physical condition, he now approaches each tournament with a different perspective: to compete, enjoy, and bid farewell to tennis by rediscovering the sensations that injuries had deprived him of.

Nishikori reveals when he started seriously considering retirement

The decision did not arise from a specific defeat or the absolute impossibility of continuing to compete. It was something much more revealing for someone who had dedicated almost his entire life to tennis: he stopped feeling the necessary motivation to rebuild his body once again.

"It crossed my mind for the first time after a tournament last August. I had pain in three or four parts of my body, and I realized that I was unable to make the decision to physically prepare myself again to fight on the court," explained Nishikori in statements collected by Kyodo News during the Media Day in Washington.

This phrase perfectly summarizes the wear of his recent years. Nishikori underwent left hip surgery in January 2022, and when he managed to return to competition in June 2023, other physical issues kept arising. Every attempt to gain continuity seemed to lead to a new setback.

"I felt like my feet were heavy when I went to train and do physical conditioning. Something like that had never happened to me until then, and that's when the idea of retirement crossed my mind," admitted the Japanese, acknowledging that he had gone through an especially challenging last year.

For a player accustomed to rebuilding himself time and again, realizing that the desire to start over no longer came automatically eventually became the definitive sign.

Nishikori's extraordinary career was overshadowed by the Big 3

Nishikori's achievements may not solely convey the dimension of the player he became. He reached a career-high ranking of world number 4 in March 2015, the best position a male Japanese tennis player reached during the Open Era.

His big opportunity came a few months earlier. At the 2014 US Open, Nishikori defeated Novak Djokovic in the semifinals, becoming the first Japanese player to reach a Grand Slam singles final. Marin Cilic ultimately defeated him in the title match, thwarting an opportunity that would never present itself again.

New York was always his grand stage. It was the only Grand Slam where he managed to surpass the quarterfinals, although his remarkable consistency allowed him to reach that stage in all four majors throughout his career.

His unfinished business lay in the Masters 1000. It is surprising that a player of such caliber ended his career without winning any, especially considering he reached four finals. In another era, perhaps, he would have found the necessary opening to add one of those significant trophies to his legacy, but his prime coincided with an exceptionally demanding generation.

Nishikori was one of many excellent players who experienced firsthand how Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic minimised opportunities for everyone else. His talent, speed, remarkable ability to take the ball early, and one of the best backhands of his generation allowed him to get close to them but not sustain the required level long enough to dethrone them on the biggest stages.

The US Open 2014 and the bronze in Rio, unforgettable memories in Kei Nishikori's life

If that Flushing Meadows final stands as the great "what if..." of his career, there were other occasions where Nishikori did turn his tennis into historic successes for his country. One of the most special came at the 2016 Rio Olympics, where he defeated Rafael Nadal to win the bronze medal. Japan had been waiting 96 years for an Olympic tennis medal, solidifying Nishikori as a national sporting icon.

For many years, he was one of the most reliable players just behind the dominant figures. His ability to reach the latter stages of important tournaments was notable, even though that major title that could have altered the historical perception of his career was missing. Injuries eventually took their toll. What had been uncomfortable interruptions during his peak years turned over time into an almost endless spiral that prevented him from regaining the necessary continuity to return to the elite.

Washington allows Nishikori to enjoy again: "I am starting to love tennis again"

Hence, his presence this week at the 2026 Washington ATP 500 holds special significance. It will be his first tournament since he announced in late April that this season would be his last, following a rest period that seems to have benefited him greatly.

"I have been able to train without holding back, and I am feeling better every time," Nishikori explained. Even more important is what he added immediately after: "It's great to feel that I am starting to love tennis again as I approach the end."

Perhaps the true goal of his final tournaments lies there. Rankings, points, and results have lost much of their significance that they held for almost two decades. Nishikori now seeks to depart peacefully from the sport he dedicated his life to, aiming to compete without the constant physical limitations that marred his later years.

Washington will be another stop in this farewell journey. There is no longer the obligation to chase the top 10, a Masters 1000, or that elusive second Grand Slam final. Each match now holds a special significance because the countdown has begun.

Kei Nishikori will retire without a Grand Slam or a Masters 1000 title, but reducing his legacy to those absences would be profoundly unjust. He was a world number 4, competed in a US Open final, won an Olympic medal, and stood for years among the few players capable of challenging an unparalleled generation. Now, it's a matter of seeing how far he can go in his final tournaments and, above all, if he can bid farewell as he desires: returning to enjoy tennis again.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Kei Nishikori explica por qué ha decidido retirarse: "Sentía que mis pies pesaban cuando iba a entrenar"

Kei Nishikori